


The Joust

by tarie



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-20
Updated: 2012-10-20
Packaged: 2017-11-16 16:27:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/541504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tarie/pseuds/tarie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luna has an idea about what she and Harry need to do before returning to Slughorn's party.</p>
<p>Excerpt: As he turned toward a waiting thestral (wondering where the hell it'd come from), Luna clapped her hands in delight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Joust

Harry worried his lower lip, his eyes darting from Luna to Buck– _Witherwings_ \- Witherwings and back again. She hadn't even bothered to bow to the hippogriff before approaching him, just slipped over the paddock's fence humming an S Coven 7 song and headed straight for the great beast.

"Er...Luna?" 

She didn't reply until she'd climbed onto Witherwings' back. "Yes, Harry?"

Her large, watery eyes stared at him unblinkingly and he gaped. Luna had just– he couldn't believe that Buckbeak had simply allowed Luna to–

Buckbeak reared back and Luna laughed, a loud, tinkling laugh that made Harry shiver.

"What're you–" He shook his head. "C'mon. Let's go back to Slughorn's party."

"We have to joust first," she said, smiling serenely. 

"Joust?" Harry repeated slowly, not understanding.

"Yes. Joust." Luna nodded resolutely and he felt a nudge on his shoulder. As he turned toward a waiting thestral (wondering where the hell it'd come from), Luna clapped her hands in delight. "Joust." 

Harry avoided looking too closely at the thestral; its milky white eyes seemed to see right to his very core and he felt naked, exposed. Shaking out his discomfort, he climbed onto it. The thestral fluttered its great wings and, in an instant, Harry found that they were inside the paddock with Luna and Witherwings

"Okay," Harry said uncertainly, his fingers smoothing over the scaley skin along the creature's spine.

Plucking the wand out from behind her ear, Luna conjured up two lances, levitating one to Harry.

It felt heavy and cool in his hands and, in that moment, Harry knew he must look ridiculous. He didn't care, though, because he knew Luna didn't care. The knowledge made him grin and laugh, and Luna joined in. This time, her laughter didn't make him shiver. It warmed him from the inside out; it was _nice_.

"Why're we going to joust?" he asked curiously.

"Every wizard must know how to joust to combat the Rotfang Conspiracy," she said matter-of-factly. "You ought to have practice before we return to the party. Just in case. I think there are some Aurors there. You can recognise them because of their invisible cowlicks."

Harry snorted and howled with laughter. He hadn't even noticed that Luna began to charge until it was too late and he was in a heap on the ground.


End file.
